Regarded by many as the greatest rider of all-time, Laffit Pincay,
Jr., won the Santa Anita Handicap five times. His first triumph in
North America’s oldest continuously run “Hundred Grander” came 40 years
ago, aboard the Charlie Whittingham-conditioned Cougar II, who was the
3-2 favorite and 126-pound highweight in the 1973 renewal.

“Cougar was a very good horse, but he hadn’t run in a long
time,” said Pincay on Friday morning. “He came to the race on works
alone and I was a little afraid that he might get a little tired, but
Charlie was the best at getting a horse fit.

“Kennedy Road (ridden by Don Pierce) ran really good that day
and we had a tough time going by him. There was a little contact and
there was an inquiry. When they left it official, I was very, very
happy.”

For the record, the official Daily Racing Form chart listed
Cougar’s margin of victory as a nose, with the following footnote:
“Cougar II dropped back at the start, moved nearer along the outside
around the first turn, took a breather on the far turn, responded to
rally and challenged Kennedy Road from the outside before reaching the
furlong pole, drifted inward to bump with Kennedy Road about the
sixteenth pole, accepted the pressure and took a desperate decision.”

Both Pincay and Cougar would go on to be enshrined in Racing’s
Hall of Fame and Pincay, would go on to win Big ’Caps in 1977 with
Crystal Water, in 1979 with Affirmed, in 1981 with John Henry and in
1986 with Greinton.

“The Pirate” as he was known early in his career, has fond
memories of what racing was like “Back in The Day,” at The Great Race
Place.

“I tell you what, at that time, the Big ’Cap was very, very
special,” said Pincay. “We had huge crowds and people dressed up. I
used to wear a suit and tie every Saturday and Sunday when I came to
ride. It was special. At that time there were only four hundred
granders here at Santa Anita: The Strub, the Big ’Cap, the Santa Anita
Derby and the San Juan Capistrano.”

When asked if there was one thing he’d do to try to revive on-track attendance: “I’d let everyone in free.”

It’s safe to say that “Back in The Day,” thousands of people
were more than willing to pay their money to see and bet on a jock named
Pincay, a fierce competitor and a class act who always gave his backers
a hundred percent.